Things to do in Philadelphia in Half A Day

Spring Bloom at the American Independence National Historical Park 

If you check the back of a $100 note, there is an image of an Independence Hall and that is exactly where we were! With queues in front of the glass window from where we could see Liberty Bell to Tulips that bloomed in Spring Season to Blossoms and Horse carriages my short visit of a few hours to Philadelphia was a peek-a-boo into America’s history, just a little bit.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia Photo from Shutterstock

Independence Hall is part of American Independence National Historical Park which is associated with America’s revolution , nation’s founding history and the birthplace of American democracy. The park has been nicknamed "America's most historic square mile” because of its abundance of historic landmarks such as Independence Hall, Liberty Bell as well as Congress Hall.It stood witness to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 by the founding fathers, and the creation of the United States Constitution in 1787.

Liberty Bell from the Glass Window

The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bell was commissioned in 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from the London firm of Lester and Pack (now Whitechapel Bell Foundry), and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof," a Biblical reference from the Book of Leviticus. In its early years the bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens about public meetings and proclamations.

I wish I had gotten more time in the city as I have heard there’s lots to do in Philadelphia commonly known as Philly. But I was on a packaged tour by TakeTours which included 3 places (Washington, Philadelphia and Lancaster) in 2 days and they were kind enough to checklist all the important places in each city. So, if you are running out of time like we were and just have half a day in Philadelphia, I would suggest visiting the Independence National Historical Park. I would also suggest arriving early to the park and the best way to see liberty bell is from the entrance door (not like us from the glass window). Entrance is on a First come, First serve basis and there is no fee but there are huge queues became many visitors come daily here.

I haven't been to Longwood Gardens, but on internet there are 240,000 tulips and it feels that it would be a great place to be at in Philadelphia. The tulips that we saw were in American Independence National Historical Park (in front of Liberty bell building).   Make sure since Tulips do not last for more than a few weeks, if you wish to see them, you have to arrive at their time..

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Let’s take you to a quick photoessay:

We stayed in Maryland.

Distances: New York to Philadelphia is 1 hour 30 minutes drive.
Washington to Philadelphia is 2 hour 50 minutes drive.
There are also trains that runs between cities.